New Delhi, Jan 08, 2026 – The Lok Sabha Speaker’s office has clarified before the Supreme Court that the impeachment motion seeking the removal of Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma was never admitted in the Rajya Sabha, marking a critical development in the high-profile case linked to the discovery of large sums of cash at the judge’s official residence in Delhi last year.

The statement was filed in response to Justice Varma’s plea challenging the Lok Sabha Speaker’s decision to proceed with the inquiry on August 12, 2025, even as a parallel motion was pending in the Rajya Sabha. The Supreme Court had, on December 16, 2025, directed responses from both Houses of Parliament after prima facie finding grounds in the judge’s petition.

Defective Motion in Rajya Sabha

According to the response filed by Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh on January 1, 2026, a communication was sent to the Lok Sabha immediately after the motion was presented in the Rajya Sabha, indicating that the motion was “defective” and had never been admitted. Acting on this information, the Lok Sabha Speaker admitted the motion on August 11, 2025, and constituted an inquiry committee under Section 3(2) of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, headed by a sitting Supreme Court judge.

The response clarified that, when the Rajya Sabha Chairman informed the House about receipt of the motion, no scrutiny or decision on admission was made. The deputy chairman, Harivansh Narayan Singh, subsequently reviewed the motion along with a report noting multiple defects and decided not to admit it on August 11. The following day, the Lok Sabha, with 146 members’ signatures, formally presented a motion, which was admitted.

Context of the Motion

The controversy began on July 21, 2025, when then Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar presided over the first day of the monsoon session in the Rajya Sabha. On the same day, he received a notice signed by more than 50 opposition MPs to constitute a committee for Justice Varma’s removal. The sudden move reportedly surprised the government, which preferred the inquiry to go through the Lok Sabha, and triggered Dhankhar’s abrupt resignation citing health reasons.

All MPs who signed the notice in Rajya Sabha belonged to opposition parties, while the ruling National Democratic Alliance had no prior knowledge. The RS Secretary General then presented the motion to the deputy chairman along with a report highlighting numerous defects.

Supreme Court Hearing

During the hearing, the court questioned whether the deputy chairman had the authority to reject the motion and whether the Lok Sabha could proceed independently. A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chadra Sharmaindicated that prima facie, the judge’s interpretation of the proviso to Section 3(2) of the 1968 Act was not convincing. The court highlighted that if one House rejects a motion while another admits it, the Lok Sabha is not barred from constituting a committee.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Justice Varma, argued that the motion in Rajya Sabha was “deemed admitted” when the chairman acknowledged its receipt, and the deputy chairman could not subsequently review it. The bench countered, noting that the deputy chairman acts in place of the chairman under Article 91 of the Constitution, and there was no formal finding of admission by the chairman.

The court asked for copies of the RS Secretary General’s note, with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta producing documents showing the motion’s defects. The bench observed that some content in the note may have gone into merits, which should not happen, and posted the matter for further hearing after the petitioner is supplied with the documents.

Current Status of Inquiry

The inquiry committee, constituted by the Lok Sabha Speaker, comprises Supreme Court Justice Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Srivastava of the Madras High Court, and Senior Advocate B.V. Acharya. The committee has issued notices to Justice Varma, asking him to submit his written defense by January 12, 2026, and appear in person on January 24, 2026.

The proceedings follow the discovery in March 2025, when large bundles of currency were found in a sack at Justice Varma’s Delhi residence after a fire. An in-house probe led then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna to recommend action to the Prime Minister and President.